


one last dance?

by charjace



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: M/M, Or mentions of it, Slight Internalized Homophobia, college aged au, end of college years, i mention like... everyone else at least once!, they're so gay for each other but some don't know how to communicate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-01-24 19:53:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21343813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charjace/pseuds/charjace
Summary: Tear drops in your hazel eyesI can't believe I made you cry
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	one last dance?

It’s been almost a year and a half since they had last properly seen each other, but he knew the moment he had received the letter a few months ago, that he’d be seeing him again. That is was going to happen, and he didn’t know how he was going to deal with it. No excuse he could make could get him out of it, and he knows _he _can’t get away with an excuse either. It was going to happen, their friends don’t know why they had fallen apart. They had even thought it was just a joke, that it wouldn’t last long - but when he had submitted a transfer from the dorms, they knew it was serious.

Outside the sun was shining brightly as people were walking from place to place, the venue he was at was small. It was only going to be a small thing. The couple didn’t want a big thing, just their friends for this big day of theirs. He was not about to ruin that so he will put the drama behind and smile as he puts on his tux.

The wedding was nice, Beverly looked wonderful in her dress, and cheers went around as she and Ben kissed, sealing the marriage with a kiss before everyone went to the reception area for the food and speeches. Soon enough the music was playing and people were going to the dance floor, but he didn’t. 

He was content sitting down at the table, sipping the wine from his glass as he watched as everyone danced. He must have been caught up in watching because he didn’t notice as someone took a seat next to him until he heard them clear their throat. Turning his head, he looked and shook his head. “No, not today. It’s Ben and Beverly’s day. No,” He says before standing up and walking away.

He ends up sitting on a bench that was outside, placing his head in his hands. Neither of them have gone to each other _willingly_ since he told him he was requesting a transfer out of the dorms. That he won’t share a dorm with him anymore last year. He wouldn’t take that step, he was standing his ground and _keeping_ his stand. But, _oh god_ it hurt. The memories of what had lead up to it, ache like they had just happened mere seconds ago. _Fuck_, tears are starting to brim his eyes as he remembers the events.

_Sitting on his bed in their small dorm, next year they’ll be moving into a small apartment together, for their last year of college. He was nervous as he sat there, waiting for him to come back into the dorm room. Hearing the door click and open, he flashes a quick, not quite it’s full self smile towards the other as he entered._

_A worried expression quickly formed on his features as he noticed his roommate, his best friend looking nervous and takes a seat next to him. This only helped to cause him to feel more nervous because what he was about to say, it could ruin a lot of things and he didn’t want that.   
_

_“Eds, are you okay?” Richie’s voice asked, it was sincere and genuinely filled with worry. He places his arm around Eddie to comfort him in the best way that he could.  
_

_“Don’t call me that,” He says back, but it’s lost a lot of it’s usual bite because he can’t put it over the nerves that were spilling out in the open. Eddie takes in a deep breath, letting it out slowly, in and out, in and out - he does this a few times that Richie starts to move to grab the inhaler that was always sitting in the bedside table drawer, but Eddie stops him. “Not an asthma attack. Nervous is all.”   
_

_His words stumble out over each other as he tries to get them out, but they’re too fast and there isn’t much he can do about it now. This was his chance, if he didn’t do it now, he doesn’t think he could gather the courage to do this again. Or if he did, it’s be in another ten years or so ; and that was way too long and they would have found other people by then._

_“Richie... I th-_ no_ I know I am. I’m gay,” That wasn’t that hard, it wasn’t - but, it wasn’t all that he had to say. He smiles lightly, with a little bit of relief when Richie holds him tightly in a hug, he knows it’s Richie’s way of saying it’s okay, but there still was one more thing and Eddie pulls away, avoiding looking at Richie and moving himself a bit away. “That’s not all, I love _you_. I think I’ve been in love with you since like, fifth grade. I know this is a lot, you don’t have to say anything about it.”_

_Richie doesn’t say anything, and Eddie tells himself it’s better then him yelling at him. That Richie is just taking his time to process the admission that Eddie had just given. They fall asleep a few hours later, after none of them said anything else. Richie was way too quiet and it scared Eddie but he wasn’t going to push him. When he woke up, Richie was still asleep, but when he came back after his morning run, Richie was gone. He continued about his day, hanging out with Bill, Mike and Ben until he was tired._

_Entering the dorm, the last thing he expected to see was Richie and some random girl making out on Richie’s bed, hands down pants and her shirt was tossed onto his, Eddie’s, bed. So many emotions filled up inside of him, that he didn’t know what to do with. Tears filled his eyes, wiping his face with the back of his hand - he says, “_Beep Beep Richie_.” He didn’t often say it like their other friends - but, this was defiently taking it way too far. The words weren’t that loud, they were more of a saddened whisper, so then as he kicks his foot at the bed he says louder, “Beep Beep Fucker!”_

_This caused the two to tear apart, he starts to open his mouth but shuts it and Eddie just can’t deal with it so he storms down the hall. He can hear running, so he picks up speed, he’s outside and is almost around a corner, he’d go to Stan, he was closest and should be done with studying for the night that he might take Eddie in for the rest of the night. Almost around when a hand wrapped around his wrist, yanking it back he turns and glares because it’s Richie standing there._

_“Don’t fucking touch me, don’t you ever fucking touch me,” Eddie growls out, his eyes were burning with the tears that were forming again. He takes a step back as Richie reaches out to grab hold of his hands, “You don’t get to touch me, ever again. I was honest with you, you could have at least done the same.” It might have _hurt_ but at least he would know, but seeing what he saw hurt more then if Richie had just _said_ he wasn’t interested. “We’re not talking about it, you fucked up okay. I’m not o-fucking-kay, and you get to live with that. You broke whatever we had because you couldn’t just tell me you didn’t like me. So, fuck off Trashmouth. Go back to her, I won’t come back tonight.”_

_“Eds, I-” Richie starts but is cut off by Eddie turning around and storming off, after saying “Do not ever fucking call me that.”  
_

_Eddie spent the night in Stan’s dorm, crying and falling sleep next to his friend. The next day, he filed for a dorm change and luckily there was one for him to go into. The last time he saw Richie willingly, was when he walked into the dorm to gather his things, he knew Richie was there, he knew he had to tell Richie in person that he was no longer going to room with him. That was the last time he ever spoke to Richie outside of their group of friends_.

His tears were falling down his face, he could blame it on the wedding - but all that emotional stuff has been and gone, could he even get away with it? He probably couldn’t. “Fuck!” He says out loud as he puts his head into his hands, hoping it would hide the tears that formed due to the memory.

The bench creaks, and some part of him wants it to be anyone but Richie, but he knows it’s Richie. He knows it so much that he doesn’t look up at him, but up and out into the distance. Eyes fixating on a tree ahead of them. “I told you _no,” _His voice a mumble as he spoke.

“Yeah, but since when do I listen Eddie?” Richie retorts back, and there was a sadness to his voice. Richie leans forward, clasping his hands together, his eyes falling to the ground. “Eddie... we need to talk.”

“Why? You made it clear, and if you can’t be honest with me - I don’t think we can be friends. We can continue this thing, were we just show up to the group things and just not talk to each other okay. I’m fine with it.” Oh how that is a lie, he is totally not okay with that at all. It kills him every time, he wants their old friendship back - he wants what they once had again. To just talk again, but he knows if he does that he’ll never move on from him.

“You’re lying Eds, I know you are,” Richie says, and he stands up so he can stand in front of Eddie. “I know the little things about you Eddie. Like, how you’re dyslexic but won’t let anyone else know. How you haven’t used your dam inhaler since you’ve been to college. I know a lot of little and big things about you Eddie - god! And I know when you’re lying.”

Richie bends down so he is now at the height that Eddie is sitting at, forcing Eddie to look into his eyes, “Stop it Richie. Stop acting like you care, you didn’t when you brought that _girl_ into our dorm. You could have just _told me_ you didn’t like me back. Okay, that would have hurt way less. Richie, I _can’t_ do this - be near you or talk with you ever again. I **can’t** bec-”

Eddie’s words were cut off when Richie rushed forward, pressing his lips to Eddie’s in a quick kiss as Eddie’s back hit the back of the bench. “Because you still love me. I know, I know, _fuck_,” Richie says, Eddie is still shocked from the sudden kiss that he doesn’t know what to do. Richie was taking a few breathes, letting them in and out as he searched for right words to say, “I fucked up, I know that. It’s been killing me, knowing I pushed you away because I couldn’t... I couldn’t deal with it. Okay, I... I knew I felt the same way. I’ve known I’ve liked you since fifth grade. But... boys aren’t suppose to like boys, so... I... _fuck_. I have loved you since back when we were kids Eddie, and I got scared when it could be real. I fucking love you Eds.”

“Don’t _call_ me that,” Eddie manages to say as he gets over his shock of what is happening right now. He looks at Richie, searching for any indication that this was a joke - that Richie was just trying to get them back into their playful teasing but he couldn’t find anything, and he feels another tear fall down his check. Richie reaches his hand to wipe it away and Eddie lets him, he even leans into the touch.

They don’t say anything for a while, but - Richie speaks up, “I know you’re heading out of town when you graduate, that I might not see you ever again, but - can you give me one last dance?”

Eddie nods his head, smiling slightly and they walk back into the venue where people are still dancing, a slow song was playing and couples were swaying along to the soft melody. Eddie leads them to the dance floor, wrapping his arms around Richie. Moving with the music, saying nothing between them. He rests his head on Richie’s shoulder as it plays, and as the song ends - he says, “This doesn’t have to be our last dance.” He moves so that he can see Richie’s face, the slight confusion, and Eddie kisses him. This one lasting a bit longer then the one they shared outside.

Richie’s hands move to cup Eddie’s cheeks, while Eddie’s fingers move to run through Richie’s hair. They can hear faint cheering and whistling, and they pay it no attention. After the wedding, they talk about everything until they fall asleep still in their tuxes. 

**Author's Note:**

> based on the song, one last dance by r5!


End file.
